Grant Hill out of action again

ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Grant Hill's troublesome left foot again has landed him on the injured list.

The All-Star forward of the Orlando Magic has soreness near the area that has undergone two operations and will miss at least the next five games, the team announced Friday.

Hill has missed five of the last six games with what the team described as a sore left foot. The Magic announced no timetable for his return.

One of the NBA's most versatile players, Hill has played just 18 games since joining the Magic prior to last season. He is in the second season of a seven-year, $93 million contract.

Hill, 29, suffered a bone bruise in his left ankle late in the 1999-2000 season, when he was with the Detroit Pistons. He played through the injury in two playoff games and later was diagnosed with a broken ankle.

Hill underwent surgery but the bone did not heal properly due to a lack of blood reaching the area. He played in just four games last season, his first with the Magic and was told he may not play again unless he underwent a second procedure on the ankle.

In January, Hill had surgery to repair the medial malleous bone in his ankle. The procedure required the removal of old screws and the insertion of new ones, along with a bone graft.

After five months of rehabilitation, Hill said at the outset of training camp in October that, "I've got to prove that I'm healthy, which I've been doing (this summer), and that our team can rely on me."

That was the case for 13 games as Hill averaged 16.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists. But he sat out Nov. 24 against Charlotte with soreness in the foot.

The 6-8 forward tried to return two days later against Detroit but sat the last seven minutes with more soreness. A bone scan on Nov. 29 revealed bone spurs on the ankle.

The 1995 NBA co-Rookie of the Year and a six-time All-Star, Hill had averaged 21.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 439 games entering this season. He never has won a series in four playoff appearances.

In Hill's absence, the Magic have been starting Mike Miller, the 2001 Rookie of the Year.

To replace Hill on the roster, the Magic activated forward Monty Williams, who has averaged 5.8 points and 2.6 rebounds in five games. The 6-8 Williams had been on the IL since Nov. 9 with a strained right hamstring.